Ford announced today that the manufacturing of the F-150 Lightning will be nearly doubled, reaching 150,000 units per year at the Rouge Electric Truck Center in Dearborn. The move was agreed upon by the management in order to keep up with the high demand for the company’s first all-electric version of America’s best-selling vehicle.
Furthermore, the first group of reservation holders will be able to start placing orders for the F-150 Lightning on Thursday, seven months after the initial unveiling of the first all-electric Ford F-Series truck. The Blue Oval company is introducing a wave-by-wave ordering process due to the unprecedented customer interest, and reservation holders should look for an invitation via e-mail from Ford or by logging into their Ford.com account.
The first deliveries should take place this spring, as Ford is heading towards the final testing phase of its F-150 Lightning pick-up truck, which will include real-world durability and high-mileage testing. According to the car maker, these real-world tests will simulate the real-life conditions in which the F-150 Lightning will be used and should cover over 1 million miles combined.
In North America, the F-150 Lightning is attracting a record amount of interest from customers of competing brands, with more than 75 percent of reservation holders being new to the Ford brand. The first deliveries are scheduled to take place this spring, with a starting price of $39,974 before any potential tax incentives.
Ford has previously stated that it will invest more than $30 billion in electric vehicles by 2025 as it plans to become the clear No. 2 electric car manufacturer in North America over the next two years. As more investments come to fruition and better battery and EV manufacturing processes come online, Ford is looking to challenge the number one spot too in the near future. According to the company’s estimates, the manufacturing capacity should go up to about 600,000 battery electric vehicles per year in less than 24 months.
That may seem like a lot but it is actually necessary, in order to keep up with the demand. Furthermore, Ford is currently building its largest, most advanced and efficient auto production facility in its 118-year history, in Tennessee, for the next-gen F-series electric pickups. On top of that, Ford joined forces with SK Innovation, to build no less than three battery plants, to make sure the supply chain is up to the task of delivering parts for Ford and Lincoln vehicles moving forward.
